The National Medicines Agency issues recommendations to avoid the risks associated with wearing artificial nails.
Coquetry is good, accompanied by wisdom is better. The French Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) alert false nails lovers : their use is not without risks and precautions are required. In fact, chemicals and techniques for handling artificial nails can cause serious damage to natural nails and their tissues.
Nail detachment
Four compounds can be used to fix false nails, lists the ANSM: the self-hardening resin (technique known as “sculpted nails”), the gel curing under UV (ultraviolet), the plastic capsule and the pieces of tissue. fiberglass.
“In all cases, the professional must apply the products strictly to the limit of the nail and cuticles (without covering them) to avoid any detachment of the natural nail”, explains Ansm. Only professionals should perform the installation, that is to say “beauticians and / or persons holding a professional qualification certificate of nail stylist”.
To remove the artificial nail placed with resin, the Agency recalls that it is necessary to use a solvent (most often acetone) in which the nails are immersed. For nails placed with gel, it is advisable to use a file and to work with delicacy: “too aggressive filing leads to weakening of the nail which can be manifested by detachment”
In any case, “scratching or pulling off the artificial nail yourself can indeed lead to a detachment of the natural nail”, specifies the agency.
Fall of the nail, mycosis …
The ANSM also warns of “risks of local inflammation, loss of the natural nail, or even possibly paresthesias at the fingertips (abnormal sensitivity of the skin)”, if the artificial nail is placed beyond the limit of the natural nail or cuticles.
In addition, there is a risk of allergic reactions to gel, glue or resin. “They are manifested by eczema around the nails (redness with itching or burning sensations) and / or on the face (especially the eyelids) or by a natural nail detachment”.
To end the celebrations, “an infection of the natural nail under the prosthesis is possible”. It manifests itself by “a change in the color of the nail observed after removal (yellow or greenish nail most often), and inflammation around the nail. It is most often a fungal infection (disease caused by a fungus such as candida spp) ”.
For those whom these descriptions will not have discouraged, know that a good technique carried out by a serious professional makes it possible to avoid all these complications.
Pregnant women, adolescents …
Applying artificial nails is strongly discouraged in several situations. People under the age of 16 should refrain from it, because “it is better to wait for the full maturity of the nail”. Those who suffer from a nail disease (psoriasis or mycosis for example) can also give it up, because their nails “are fragile or damaged; compulsory grinding will thin the nail and make it more fragile ”.
Finally, pregnant women should know that “the toxicity of the products used has not been established”. “On the other hand, the need, at the time of childbirth or in the event of a complication of pregnancy, to place a device on the end of a finger to measure the oxygen in the blood is not compatible with the fingernails. artificial ”. Ditto for people who have to undergo surgery: “the need to put a device on the end of a finger to measure the oxygen in the blood is not compatible with artificial nails”.
Finally, if you are a healthcare worker: you risk transmitting a bacterial infection more easily to patients through artificial nails.
Some precautions
The Agency closes its information point by formulating some advice: before installation, wash and brush your nails carefully, prefer short artificial nails, avoid soiling your hands with instruments and products during the polymerization time. . As far as possible, have the installation carried out by a professional.
In addition, “wearing artificial nails for a long time can make natural nails more fragile. After wearing artificial nails for 3 or 4 months, it is preferable to keep a period of one month before resting it again ”.
In the event of an abnormality detected, it is recommended to have the extensions removed by a professional concerned, or even to consult a doctor (dermatologist or attending physician).
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